Electrically operated steamer



c. L. R EDFlELD ET AL 2,076,669 ELECTRICALLY OPERATED STEAMER I v April 13, 1937.

' 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 16, 1.929

Filed Aug. 16, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 w y W w w a y w i r 3 2% L 0 6 V W e 3 mmwmm mmm e VAMW/H A ril 13, 1937. c. L. REDFIELD ET AL I ELECTRICALLY OPERATED STEAMER:

Filed Aug. 16, 1929 3 'Sheets -Sheet3 Wedf'z'eld @WoC Patented Apr. 13, 1937 UNITED STATES 2,076,669 ELECTRICALLY OPERATED STEAMER Casper L. Redfield and Nelson De Long, Chicago,

Ill., assignors, by

mesne assignments,

Phoenix Oil Engineering Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application August 16,

12 Claims. Our invention relates to electric-ally operated evaporated.

In the accompanying drawings: Fig. 1 is an elevation of the apparatus as it appears ready for use;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional elevation of 29 the upper part of the apparatus and in a direction at right angles Fig. 2 is a similar section of the lower part, Figs. 2 and 2 being in the direction 2-4 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 3 is a section similar to Fig. 2 but in the direction 33 of Fig. 4; Figs. 4 and 5 are sections on lines 5-5, respectively, of Fig. 3; and

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are details. 30 Tubes l0 and H are connected together by a pling I2 which also serves as divide the interiors of the tubes into upper and lower chambers. The lower end of tube closed by a head l3 which is held to the coupling 35 i2 by bolts l4. These parts are held together by the tube Ill being clamped between shoulders on the coupling l2 and head l3 by the action of bolts [4.

The upper end of tube ll 4-4 and secured to said tubes.

Before the tubes 23 and 24 are put together,

1929, Serial No. 386,457 (Cl. 21933) The lower end of the resistance conductor 21 electrically connected to At some convenient point, as immediately after passing thru the wall of the tube 23, end of the ribbon 21 is electrically connected to an insulated conductor the upper end of the pipe I6 to the water tight into and becomes the core of a suspension cable connected to the bail 20. A rubber cap or other sealing device 33 serves to keep water from entering the upper end of the pipe Hi.

The pipe I6 is screwed into of the coupling I2, and extends a considerable 35 of insulating of pipe i6 is a sulating material 3'! separating the two electrically from each other. A bracket 38 serves as a support for the tube 29 near the place where it is connected to tube 23.

On one side I2 is a boss 39 the lower part 4| and clip 42. counterbored to gland 43, and the lower face is counterbored to leave an annular space around the lower end of A transverse hole 45 with space outside of the which passes out thru 2 is a small screw 49 which serves to close the hole 48 to any desired degree. In the lower end of the hole 48 is a pipe 59 which extends a considerable distance down into the space within tube I9.

Resting on shoulders 5| of pieces 21 and 22, is a tube 52, which surrounds the heating element and is somewhat shorter. The tube 52 has its lower end guided by the pieces on which it rests, and its upper end guided by bolts l4 and tubes 46 and 50.

In the head I5 is a hole 53 for receiving a nipple 54, and on the upper end of this nipple is a valve 55. Screwed into this valve is an elbow 56 adapted to receive the end of a hose for filling the chamber in tube H with water. On top of the elbow 56 is a boss 51 in which is drilled asmall hole 58 communicating with the interior of the elbow.

The device here described may be of any diameter and of any length. For ordinary oil wells, four inches is a convenient diameter for the H, with other parts in proportion. A convenient length of parts would be four feet for the tube Hi and about sixteen feet for tube l I. The object of such length in tube 1 l is to provide as large a reservoir as is practicable with a permissible diameter.

The kind of wells to which the present device is particularly adapted are those which have been shot, and which consequently have chambers of considerable size in the oil bearing sand. Also,

ones in which there is only a small depth of oil at the time of heating.

Old wells commonly have a shot cavity of considerable size, and have the walls of the cavity saturated with hardened paraffin so that oil still left in the oil bearing sand cannot percolate from the sand into the cavity. The object of the present device is to generate steam in the cavity, which steam flows from the lower chamber thru openings 59, and thence to the walls of the cavity. At that place, the steam gives up its heat to the walls, and runs down as water to the bottom of the cavity. The water, melted paraffm and oil are later pumped out in the ordinary manner.

The cable 32 is connected to a hoisting apparatus, and the insulated conductor is connected to a source of electricity, but shut off by any convenient switch until the device is lowered into the well. The next step is to connect a hose to the elbow 5G and turn on the valve 55 to admit water to the interior of the tube H.

As water enters the chamber ll, air escapes thru pipe 40 and port 45. Some water runs down the hole 48 to the heating chamber, but this flow is regulated by the screw 49 so that by the time the upper chamber is full, the lower chamber is from one-half to three-quarters full. In this process, air in the lower or heating chamber esthe ports 59. As soon as the upper chamber is full, water will spout upward thru the vent 58 in boss 51, and this will be a signal to close the valve 55.

Air may flow inward as well as outward thru the tube 49, and the hole 48 is always open. As a consequence, after closing valve 55, water will continue to flow from the upper chamber to the lower one until the water level in the lower chamber rises to the line 60 and seals the lower end of tube 45 to prevent further air entering the upper chamber. When this occurs, the water level in the upper chamber may be a foot or more below the upper end of tube 40.

After the lower end of the tube 40 is sealed by the rise of water in the lower chamber, water will continue to flow from the upper chamber thru the hole 48 to the lower chamber, and water in the lower chamber will flow upward in tube 49 until the level in that tube is the same as the level in the upper chamber.

It is proper to note the fact that because the surface of the water in the lower chamber is in communication with outside air thru ports 59, it is under atmospheric pressure, whereas the water in the upper chamber has its surface under an initial balancing pressure of about one-half of an atmosphere. The difference is due to the head of water in tube 40 and the fact that the upper chamber is air tight above the water surface.

When the balance has been attained as just described, the heater is lowered into the well and the current is turned on. By means not necessary to describe here, the heater is positioned in the oil chamber of the well so that the ports 59 are well above the surface of the oil, and if the oil level in the well rises during the heating process, the position of the heater is adjusted so as to keep the ports 59 above the oil surface.

When the electric current is turned on the heating element, there is set up a rapid circulation of water within the tube in. is upward where the water comes in contact with the tubular heating element, and downward elsewhere. Thus, it will flow upward inside of the tube 23 and between the tubes 24 and 52. This upward flow will be compensated for by a downward flow between tube 52 and the shell ID.

The current for this heating comes from any suitable source thru the wire 30 and ribbon 21 to the lower ring 25 and outer tube 24. here it passes thru the water to the shell of the apparatus and then returns to the source thru the outside wires of the cable 32. A metallic conductor may, of course, connect the lower part of the heating element with the tube 10, but it is preferred to use the water as the conductor at this place.

As steam is formed in the tube l0, which tube may be considered as the shell of a boiler, such steam flows out thru the ports 59 to the walls of the well, where it serves to heat those walls and melt the paraffin. When the water level 69 falls below the lower end of tube 40, air enters thru port 45 and flows up tube 40 to the interior of the upper chamber. This admission of air to the upper chamber permits water to flow down thru hole 48 to restore the lower water level to the height of the lower end of the tube 40.

Means, not necessary to describe here, are provided so that the operator at the mouth of the well can known at all times the amount of water remaining in the reservoir. If the amount of heating required is greater than can be supplied by evaporating the amount of water in the reservoir at the time it is lowered into the well, the device is withdrawn, refilled and lowered again into the well.

If, in case of neglect or oversight on the part of the operator, the water level in the boiler falls below its intended point, there is decreased area of water to act as a conductor between tubes 24 and ID. This increases the resistance in the water and that in turn decreases the amount of current which can flow thru the ribbon 21. Such decreased current acts to prevent the heating element becoming overheated. Also, when the water is low in the boiler, the steam generated flows upward in contact with the surfaces of the heating element and flows thru ports 59 as super- From 1 What we claim is: 1. In a steam generator, a tubular casing provided with inlet and outlet openings limited to its to the lower one.

3. A vertical tubular body having its ends closed and its interior divided into upper and lo so that water may continue to flow from the upper chamber to the lower one 7. In a device of the class described, upper and. lower chambers separated from each other by a partition, a tube secured to said partition and distance below said partition,

8. In a tubular device adapted to be supported upper chamber so as to control the to the lower chamber.

V 12. A tube having its ends closed and provided With from the reservoir to the boiler.

CASPER L. REDFIELD. NELSON DE LONG. 

